Newsroom

On this International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, March 21, current events remind us to be vigilant in the face of words and actions that remain unacceptable and unfortunately affect all societies. If the fight against racism is part of our values as a central pillar of our democracies, it is also a legal obligation for Belgium, since our country ratified the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination in 1975 and has a legal framework for the fight against racism. In 2020, at the initiative of former Prime Minister Sophie Wilmès, Belgium established an inter-ministerial conference on the fight against racism and anti-Semitism to better coordinate the actions of the country's various authorities in this area. They are currently working on an inter-federal action plan. We must indeed continue our efforts in Belgium.

March 8 is International Women's Day. Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Sophie Wilmès and Minister of Development Cooperation and Urban Policy Meryame Kitir emphasize that the promotion and protection of women's rights is and will remain a priority of Belgium's foreign policy and development cooperation.

On the occasion of the International Day against the Use of Child Soldiers, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Sophie Wilmès reaffirms Belgium's commitment to improving the protection of children in armed conflict. The United Nations aims to improve the situation of these children by addressing the six most serious violations of children's rights: killing and maiming, sexual violence, abduction, attacks on schools or hospitals, denial of access to humanitarian aid and finally, the recruitment of child soldiers. Last year, the UN Secretary General reported no less than 25,000 gross violations of children's rights in some twenty countries. One in three of those violations is attributed to state actors.

Today is the International Human Rights Day. Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Sophie Wilmès and Minister of Development Cooperation Meryame Kitir underline that Belgium remains committed to the protection and promotion of all human rights for all.

On the occasion of the International Anti-Corruption Day on December 9, Belgium joins the campaign of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC): "Recover With Integrity".

November 25 marks the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women and the beginning of the "16 Days of Activism against Gender-based Violence" campaign.

Today the world celebrates International Children's Day. The UN Convention on the Rights of the Child and its Protocols urge countries around the world to make policy changes and align legislation with the rights of the child, to invest in specific areas such as education, to take measures against the sale of children, child prostitution, child pornography and child labor, and to protect children in armed conflicts.

On the occasion of the 18th European and World Day against the Death Penalty, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Sophie Wilmès wishes to underline Belgium's commitment to the universal abolition of the death penalty.

Since this year, September 9 has been declared by the United Nations as 'International Day for the Protection of Education against Attacks'. In 2019, the UN registered nearly 500 attacks against schools in various conflict zones.

On the occasion of World Humanitarian Day, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Development Cooperation Alexander De Croo and Minister of Foreign Affairs and Defense Philippe Goffin express their great appreciation for the important work of the humanitarian heroes on the ground. In total, Belgium is releasing 197 million euros in humanitarian funds this year, a historically high amount. This makes our country a particularly loyal and important humanitarian donor.